Lead Engineer Tooling

The Engineering Lead, Tooling will be based out of Whitehall, Michigan and will be located within the Ti-Cast operations. The position is responsible for leading the procurement of new tooling and new product introduction. Responsibilities include mentoring of salaried engineers providing technical guidance in tool design and design for manufacturability of castings; develop process standardization of the tooling processes, acting as a technical liaison to ensure customer requirements are met and relationships strengthened; developing project milestones and removal of barriers to ensure on time completion; utilizing continuous improvement methodologies to improve systems and manufacturing processes.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the replacement tooling strategy for the facility working in conjunction with engineering and sales to maintain tooling condition.
• Lead project management of tool builds from quote through qualification.
• Lead and direct new product introduction initiatives ensuring design for manufacturability with customers, project timelines, budgets, and standards are maintained.
• Mentor less experienced engineers in NPI activities, tool build project management, and qualification processes.
• Work in conjunction with other groups to advance our technical capabilities and reduce cost of manufacturing processes
• Direct and participate in run at rate analysis of future products, technology advancements needed and capital requests to support customer demand.
• Report status of tooling and NPI projects.

Job Roles

• Anticipatory coordination-- considers what changes future capability will require; advises stakeholders from timeline and desired future state perspectives; contributes to decision-making to ensure the most desirable projects are prioritized
• Customer liaison--serves as point of contact for communication between enterprise and customer, interpreting and synthesizing requirements and capabilities to ensure successful implementations and clear expectations; increases confidence of customer with each interaction and implementation
• Business sense--recognizes the contribution of his/her work from a revenue creation perspective; invites financial accountability; understands the costs associated with testing and creation; collaborates with both customer facing and internal functions to ensure top and bottom line impact;
• Execution--manages timelines to deliver on commitments; understands capabilities to ensure accuracy of promises; recognizes potential competing interests and adjusts as necessary; follows through and takes responsibility beyond initial stages
• Project management--expert level organizational skills; employs systems and resources creatively; creates and manages milestones
• Communication--works throughout the enterprise and with external stakeholders to gain buy-in and alignment; provides regular updates; solicits feedback and input
• Continuous learning--employs lessons from previous implementations consistently; balances tested formats with new endeavor and risk; creates feedback loops with operators and other stakeholders to capture learning
• Analysis and expertise--asks questions to synthesize and evaluate; process and capability expert; leverages data to influence decision-making; relates to different functions throughout the enterprise as a fellow expert
• Mentor and coach--empowers associates; helps others understand the process; enables meaningful contributions and partnerships from others; creates opportunities for others to learn

Basic Qualifications

• BS in Engineering from an accredited university.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in engineering, including experience in tooling
• 3+ years of leadership experience with less experienced engineers
• Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Good knowledge of financial data
• Competent working knowledge of investment casting processes, customer specifications, and quality systems
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional product teams